"We need help! My friend's sister is sick and his father is missing after going to the Todesfall Forest – I asked you, we need to see the Baron." The guards finally understood the urgency once a missing person was mentioned. One of them went inside. "What's going on - aren't you going to let us in?"
"You are not allowed to enter." After a while, the guard who went inside the mansion came back with someone. It was not the Baron but he still reveals a noble aura, it's the butler. The trio were met by the stern-faced butler who spoke to them.
"The Baron is busy at the moment dealing with the estate's affair. Go home commoners."
"But isn't this an estate's affair?" Despite Austin's insistence, the butler remained unmoved, citing the Baron's busy schedule and the lack of time for such matters.
"I totally understand your concern, but the Baron is currently busy and will not be able to entertain requests until for now." The butler didn't budge.
Disheartened but not defeated, Fai and Austin exchanged worried glances, unsure of their next move. Just then, a little girl burst out of the mansion, tears streaming down her face. A boy followed closely behind, reaching out to comfort her, but she pushed him away.
"Stay away!"
"What are you saying, Udeit? I don't understand, we were just playing a while ago but then you suddenly started acting like this after the earthquake. Look at your hand, you're bleeding." The boy tried to reach out to her.
"NOOO! Don't touch me!" Just as she yelled, another figure went out from the mansion. It was the Baron.
"Son, stay away from her. We'll treat her so don't worry."
"But father..."
"Now!"
"I understand." The boy followed the strict order of his father with a disheartened look as he watched Udeit crying alone.
It was when a maid guided Udeit to a nearby garden to get treated that the Baron met Austin's eyes.
Sensing an opportunity, Austin took a deep breath and approached the Baron, ignoring the butler's protests. "Please, sir," he pleaded, his voice quivering. "Xander and his sister have nowhere else to turn to. His father went out to the Todesfall Forest and never came back. His sister is sick and needed treatment."
The Baron, hearing this, he stepped forward, his expression grave but compassionate. "What is the meaning of this, Jenkins?" he demanded.
The butler stammered, taken aback by the Baron's sudden intervention. "My sincere apologies, my Lord, let me guide them outside."
"No that's not what I meant, Jenkins. Why were you ignoring these boys after they told you their concerns?"
"I-I thought..." The Baron silenced him with a wave of his hand, his attention fully focused on Xander.
"Tell me your story," he urged, his tone gentle but firm.
"Umm..." Xander looked at Austin for help but Austin only gave him a look that said, 'Go on'.
With renewed hope, Xander recounted his desperate situation, explaining the dire circumstances and the urgent need for assistance. The Baron's expression softened as he heard the plight of the siblings.
After a moment of contemplation, the Baron decided. "Take me to your sister," he instructed, his voice filled with determination.
Austin felt a sense of relief and gratitude, knowing that the Baron is willing to help.
After a long walk towards a small house in the Eastern part of the barony, "Thank you for giving us the blessing of visiting our humble home, my Lord." Xander said as he led the Baron, Austin, and Fai to a room where a pale little girl was lying on a bed. The Baron kneeled to be at the same eye level as the girl.
"My Lord!" Jenkins who followed together with the two guards guarding the Baron's mansion yelled out as he deemed it inappropriate to kneel to commoners.
"Are you questioning my actions, Jenkins?"
"N-no, my Lord. I apologize for overstepping."
"Hello. What's your name, little girl?"
"M-my name is Oriana." The girl glanced at Jenkins who addressed the Baron as 'my Lord' and looked at her brother. Once her brother nodded as confirmation, she looked at the Baron again. "My Lord? Are you really the Baron?" She said as tears started to fall from her eyes. "My father, it has been three days since he did not come back from the Todesfall Forest. I-I..." Even though she's sick, she still worries about her father.
"Shhh, now, now, now, calm down now. Yes, we will be organizing a search for him so don't worry." As the Baron witnessed the gravity of Oriana's condition, he turned to Jenkins and his heart swelled with compassion.
"We must get Oriana proper care immediately," he declared, with a sense of urgency.
He looked at the two guards behind Jenkins before saying, "Carry her to the mansion, immediately." One of the two guards executed the command right away, carried Oriana, and ran toward the mansion with the girl in his arms.
"Jenkins, call a physician to the chateau and form a search party right away. We will discuss the details further in the chateu."
"Yes, my Lord," Jenkins replied and turned away towards the mansion's direction. He looked at the trio with a disdainful look before rushing outside.
"Now let us go back for now."
"But the house, I'll be staying here instead," Xander suggested.
"I need you there to discuss some things. I'll just let my guard stay here temporarily. Is that okay with you?"
"I understand, my Lord."
The Baron switched his attention to the standing guard. "You heard me right? Stay here and guard this house."
"Copy that, my Lord."
The Baron went back to the chateau with the trio. Austin and Xander can't help but be amazed by how the Baron commanded his people and were followed accordingly, while Fai doesn't seem that interested at all.
When they arrived at the chateau, the Baron invited them inside and led them straight to his office.
"Bring us some snacks and three glasses of milk, Femme." The Baron turned his attention to Xander as the maid he just addressed went out to fetch the delicacies.
"You, young man," he said kindly, "I cannot imagine what you've been through. But know this: you and your sister will have a place here, under my roof, where you will be safe and cared for as we search for your father's whereabouts."
Xander, overwhelmed by the Baron's generosity felt hesitant to accept and shook his head. "Th-thank you, my Lord," he managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper, "but I can manage on my own. What if Father suddenly comes back and no one's home?"
"That's not a problem, I can station one guard and a maid in your house to do the household chores." The Baron suggested.
"I am grateful for your offer, my Lord, but I don't want to hassle you more than we already have. You don't need to mind my well-being, Oriana's treatment and my father's search is a big help already." He firmly replied.
"I understand your wish, young man. But will you be alright being alone in your house?"
"..."
Sensing the dilemma, Austin suggested, "How about you stay temporarily with me in our house?"
Xander looked up, surprised by the offer but also relieved. "Are you sure, Austin?" he asked.
Austin nodded firmly. "Absolutely. You're not alone in this, Xander. We'll take care of each other from now on."
With a sense of gratitude, Xander pondered for moment before declining. "I don't think that's a good idea, Austin. What would your mother thinks taking in someone you just met?
"If you really doesn't want to stay in the chateau, I'll send a maid with you as you go home later. I'll let the maid inform the guards that was there that I wanted him to stay and protect you house. Will that work?
"It's okay, my Lord, I don't need a maid, I can do household chores on my own."
"I understand. So I'll just send someone so inform the guard then as you go home." Being rejected multiple times, the Baron started to feel incompetent.
"Thank you, my Lord. I really appreciate your generosity." Xander knelt and bowed deeply "To be honest, I actually have one last request."
"Boy, you don't have to kneel like this. Stand up." Xander stood, "If you think that you are doing the right thing for your family, don't ever kneel to anyone, am I clear?"
"Yes, my Lord." Xander replied with teary eyes.
"Now for your last request, what is it?"
"Can I please see my sister one last time before I go?"
"Hahahaha! What are you on about, young man? That should be natural. In fact, you can always come to visit her anytime." The baron declares. "That is not a request, at all."
"I-I see. I apologize, my Lord for my lack of knowledge."
"Tsk tsk tsk, another thing, don't apologize if you did nother wrong."
"Then I applogize for stealing in the market."
"Apologize to the merchant you stole from and give him this." the Baron placed a bag of coins that clangs on the table from one of the drawers. Xanders eyes widened with shock. "Please don't, reject me again or I'll be upset. You can just pay the merchant of what you stole and use the rest to buy groceries. That guard that was stationed in your house is a big eater so be ready." the Baron laughed.
knock knock
"Enter." The maid went back with a tray full of biscuits and three glasses of milk. "Nice timing, now eat - While you eat can you please provide a full description of your father. It's okay if it's not much but I wanted to encourage you to be accurate as possible."
While eating a biscuit, "Crunch crunch - kind but strong. He gets drunk at night and bring a woman with him. My sister and I will sometimes wake up to the sound of creaks or when the woman makes this sound, 'ugh ugh ugh'". Fai splurted out the milk he was drinking, stopping Xander's moan. "Are you - okay?"
The maid in the corner had her face flush red, the Baron covered his face out of embarrassment for his father, while Austin was as confused as Xander.
"Ah no, I mean his physical description. Can you perhaps describe the physical features of your father? I will need to send this information to the search party for them to find your father easier."
"Ahhh, okay." Xander provided a full description of what his father looked like and once they're done.
"I see, so that's why he's a womanizer." The Baron whispered.
***
"Brother!" Oriana announced as Xander ran for a hug. "Let's go home, I'm okay now."
"No, with the Lord's blessing, he bestowed us his generosity and promised us to treat you inside his mansion."
"What about you? What about father? You'll stay with me here, right?" Oriana pleaded as she watched the Baron with worried eyes
"The Baron invited me to stay, but I declined. You're the one who needed help, Oriana, not ne. And the Baron already assembled a search party for father. I will also have someone stay with me on the house so don't worry about me.
"But, bro..."
"Oriana, I know that it will be hard. It's hard for me as well but let's not impose more inconvenience on the Baron, okay? We'll just visit you from time to time." Oriana reached out to her brother as tears streamed down from her eyes.
"Xander, please stay here with me," she pleaded, her voice filled with desperation.
Xander's heart broke at the sight of his sister's tears. "It'll be okay, Oriana," he said softly, trying to reassure her. "You stay with the Baron and get better." But Oriana continued to cry, unwilling to be left behind by her brother but already knew her brother that once he decided on something, he's already fixed to it.
"I understand."
As Austin, Xander, and Fai prepared to leave, Xander and Oriana clung to each other, knowing that no matter what, they would always be there for each other.
"Be good okay?" Xander said to his sister as they leave her room. The Baron's eyes softened with admiration for their familial love.
At the entrance of the mansion, the Baron called out, "Austin," he said, his voice filled with warmth, "your compassion towards others truly remarkable." He switched is attention to Xander, "And Xander, your devotion to your family is truly admirable."
Having responsibilities as a nobleman, sometimes will lead you to a path where you need to choose your people against your loved ones, that's why he envies them. And by helping Xander and his little sister, he wanted to think that he could atone for the sin he committed against his, own, family.
He then turned to Fai, who stood nearby and beckoned him closer. "Fai, would you mind staying for a moment? I would like to have a word with you."
Austin glanced back with curiosity, but seeing Fai nod in acknowledgement, he decided not to pry and followed Xander out of the gates.
As the sun started to set, Fai emerged from the Baron's mansion, his expression thoughtful as he joined Austin and Xander outside.
"Hey, Fai," Austin greeted him with a smile, relieved to see him. "We were just about to head home."
"Yes, let's go."
"By the way, I thought that someone should be with us to inform that guard station at Xander's house?" Austin queried while Xander looked at Fai for confirmation as well.
"The Baron said that he already did so with magic."
"That's also possible with magic?" Austin's eyes lit up with the mention of magic.
"Yes, he said that it's called telepathy."
"Wow, that's so cool. I can't wait to awaken and learn magic from Mama. Do you want to learn magic too, Fai?" Austin asked.
"Magic? Yes, I would like to learn it too, Austin. I hope that I will learn it as well." Fai smiled.
Xander, who had been hanging back, looked at the bag of coins witg a hopeful expression. "Do you think that I was not too much of a burden towards the Baron?" he asked quietly, his eyes worried.
Austin placed a reassuring hand on Xander's shoulder. "Don't worry, if we were, we would have been kicked out already from the chateau the first thing we asked for a request," he said jokingly.
"Y-you are right." Xander reassured himself as well as he awkwardly laugh while Austin had a wide grin.